


The Importance of Atmosphere in the Creation of Romance

by ryfkah



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: F/M, First Date, First Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-28
Updated: 2011-02-28
Packaged: 2017-10-16 00:11:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/166339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryfkah/pseuds/ryfkah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Al knows that Mei dreams big.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Importance of Atmosphere in the Creation of Romance

Al has done a lot of preparation for this moment. He’s spoken to Ling about Xingese social mores ; he’s spoken to Lan Fan to double-check that Ling is not feeding him a load of nonsense about Xingese customs as a practical joke; and, possibly most importantly, he has read all one hundred and seven books in Mei’s collection of Amestrian romance novels (and where she acquired them, given the fact that trade between the countries was almost nonexistent prior to Fuhrer Grumman’s ascension, is one of those questions to which he will probably never find out the answer).

And let’s face it: it’s not like he has any _doubt_ about Mei’s feelings for him. In fact, half of Xing probably has a pretty clear idea of how Mei feels about him. Anyone would say he was ridiculous to be nervous, and they’d be right – but the thing is, by now, Al’s fairly well acquainted with Mei’s ideas of how the world ought to work. Mei’s dreams come writ large, in vivid color; real life rarely arranges itself to accord with her visions, but disappointment never stops her reaching for the next glittering moment. For once, Al thinks, she should have something that lives up to her imagination. When it comes to something like this, it would really be ungentlemanly to disappoint her.

Hence the boat ride down a moonlit river. And the azaleas, and the nightingales, and the starlight, and the formalwear even though they’re not going anywhere that requires it, and the fireworks show that just happens to be going on over a town that’s just within view. Which might have been over the top, but then, this is Mei; going over the top is not really something to worry about.

Basically, far as props and atmosphere go, Al has about the best stage setting in the history of first dates that properly cannot yet be called dates, because Al has not yet actually asked Mei to date him. Which is what he is about to do now, after which he will properly ask if he can kiss her, because while one hundred and three out of the one hundred and seven romance novels featured first kisses that came utterly out of the blue (and forty-seven of them used the word ‘punishing’) Al is fairly sure that that is not in fact the most gentlemanly way to go about it. But this is besides the point. The point is that Al has a plan, and it’s a good plan, and he is completely confident in his abilities to deliver an evening of exceptional romance.

Or he was fully confident, except that, for some completely inexplicable reason, now that he’s reached “Um, Mei . . .” he finds himself stuck.

Mei is looking at him with enormous dazzled eyes, which does at least seem to be a good sign. After a moment or two of silence, she prompts, “Yes, Alphonse?”

“Um,” he says again, wondering if his face is turning red. This is not how it was supposed to go. “Uh - Mei, I - I, um –”

The thing about Mei is that she dreams large, and she always reaches out for her dreams with both hands.

The other thing about Mei is that she is not very patient.

“Alphonse,” she says, after another moment, when it seems clear he’s going to be stuck for a while. She puts her right hand on his silk-clad shoulder, and now he knows his face is red; a second of hesitation and then, all of a sudden, she leans forward and her other hand is on his other shoulder and the boat is starting to wobble a little and she’s kissing _him_.

Without, in fact, asking first – but then, Mei isn’t required to be a gentleman. And it’s still, Al decides later, pretty romantic, after all.


End file.
